Signing up for Accies was

IT seems like only yesterday Simon Webster was scooting under the posts to score for Scotland against New Zealand at Murrayfield.

It was, in fact, seven years ago that the winger raced past Ma’a Nonu and Rico Gear to become the last Scotsman to touch down against the mighty All Blacks. A persistent Achilles problem, however, meant his professional career soon slid into an agonising cycle of disappointment and frustration.

Webster picked up 26 more caps after that New Zealand match to take his total number of appearances for Scotland to 37, but from 2007 onwards he was unable to train as hard as he needed to and he became increasingly frustrated that his body could not do what his mind was asking of it.

His last international appearance came in Scotland’s 26-13 defeat to Wales at the start of the 2009 Six Nations campaign.

Back in March, the situation finally reached its natural conclusion when Webster and Edinburgh Rugby parted company by mutual consent.

After an operation during the summer of 2010 and a year-long period of recovery, he finally got himself back to full fitness at the start of last season, but found he was unable to dislodge the likes of Tim Visser and Lee Jones at the top of the club’s pecking order.

Cue the decision to begin the next phase of his life.

The obvious path for the 31-year-old would have been the road south and a final few years as a professional in the English Championship — but instead he decided to enjoy the twilight of his career playing for the love of the game rather than the lure of lucre.

As a result he will be found this season wearing the shirt of Edinburgh Academicals, who begin their Scottish Premiership campaign at Currie on Saturday.

‘I could have played more professional rugby but I really wanted to draw a line under it,’ he said. ‘My wife and I have been in Edinburgh for 10 years now and have made a good home here, so we really didn’t want to leave the city.

‘Going down south or